Packaging



Dec. 11, 1951 J O'BR|EN 2,578,583

PACKAGING Filed April 13, 1949 IN V EN TOR. Herber? d O Brien ATTORNEYSPatented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I T 9 2,578,583 v I,PACKAGING Herbert J. O'Brien, San Francisco, Calif. Application April13, 1949, Serial No. 87,303

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in packaging and the provision ofan improved shipping package.

There has been a long felt need'for improvement in shipping packages forcanned and bottled goods of all sorts to facilitate the sale anddistribution of such materials in less than case lots and also todecrease materially the expenses incidental to the packaging andtransportation of such goods.

Therefore, a principal object of this invention is to provide animproved shipping package that will meet the demands as to cost ofmanufacture, ease and convenience of handling, while at the same timedecreasing the cost of transportation of the goods contained therein.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved shippingpackage which will satisfy the rules and regulations set up by theInterstate Commerce Commission concerning strength, durability and thelike. Another object of the invention is to provide a package which willcomprise a multiple number of containers for canned and bottled items ormaterials readily divisible to permit the sale and delivery ofpredetermined portions of a case lot of such items. Moreover, it is anobject of this invention to provide a shipping container which will meetthe usual and customary tests for compression strength, that is to say,the ability of the package to withstand crushing.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as thisspecification proceeds and may be readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single package unit employed in thesubject invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pad utilized therein;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a two-unit shipping package embodyingthe principles of the invention; a

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a four-unit shipping package, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the device of Figure 4 with one of thecomponent units partially broken away.

It is contemplated that in the practice of-this invention there may beemployed a conventional carton or box I!) as the basic unit, a pluralityof which are to be joined in the make-up of the shipping package. Byreferring to Figure 1 it will be observed that the box II] is made up inthe usual way from paper board or corrugated paper board and comprisesan assembly from a one-piece blank of such materials with an end H andside wall I 2 joined by a tape Hi. If preferred, stitching may besubstituted for tape IS in accordance with known practices. Carton I0 isprovided with the customary end flaps l5 and side flaps 16 which arelapped upon each other and adhesively connected to form a top closurewhen the container is filled.

It is contemplated that in the practice of this invention a pad l8 shallbe employed as the base element of the package (see Figure 2). The pad18 is preferably a rectangular piece of corrugated board because suchmaterial is readily obtainable at low cost and has the necessarystrength, durability and minimum weight to meet the requirements of thepackage forming the subject matter hereof. It is, however, within thepurview of this invention that pads of other materials, such as solidfibre paper board, wood veneer, wood or combinations of these materials,may be effectively employed herein.

The pad I8 is marginally striped with a suitable adhesive denoted by thenumeral [9, here shown to be disposed in an uninterrupted fllm.Depending on the desired strength of the particular package, theadhesive may be deposited in spot form rather than as a continuous film.

When the pad has been thus prepared, two of the basic units I0 areplaced thereon in abutting relation. it being noted that the pad l8 hasbeen dimensioned to accommodate two such boxes. The three elements ofthe package thus assembled are put under compression to permit theadhesive l9 to set, binding the boxes In to the pad l8. While thuscompressed a label 20 is applied to the top of the boxes spanning theirabutting edges. As shown in Figure 3, the label 20 carries repeatedindicia of origin or other identifying data, as at 2|, to the end thatwhen parted in the separation of the shipping package each unit thereofwill be fully identified.

In Figures 4 and 5 a four-unit shipping package [0 is shown, made up inaccordance with the foregoing teachings. Again in this instance the padI8 is marginally striped with glue and the four basic units I0 arenested thereon for compression to set the adhesive and the applicationof a top label 25 spanning the common point of contact.

The packages hereinabove described have decided advantages overconventional devices. They permit notable savings in material that wouldnormally be required in the make-up of a complete outer container forthe units I0; de-

consequent savings in shipping costs, and, at the same time, provideadequate strength to meet all normal handling needs and existingcommerce regulations. But beyond this, the packages meet a real need inmodern merchandizing methods by providing a multi-unit package that maybe easily divided to supply the purchaser with a plurality of objects ina complete package that may be conveniently handled and stored. Forxample, if it be assumed that the multi-unit packages of Figures 3 and 4contain canned baby food or canned beer, the purchaser can be readilysupplied with a less than case lot of the same by,

splitting the label 20 by a sharp instrument, or even a finger nail, andthen peeling one of the packages I0 away from the pad I8. Thisseparation of the basic units is illustrated in Figure 5.

The invention claimed is:

A shipping package comprising a planar base pad, a plurality of packagesseated thereon for dispensing as individual units, said packages beinginabutting relationship and the combined areas of their bottom surfacessubstantially equaling the area of the pad, said packages beingadhesively secured to the pad at their bottom surfaces, only at outeredge portions of the pad, and frangible means interconnecting the topsof the packages at their points of abutment.

HERBERT J. OBRIEN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 510,621 VanDerveer Dec. 12, 1893 1,871,617 King Aug. 16, 1932 1,893,801 HuffmanJan. 10, 1933 2,018,005 Barnby Oct. 22, 1935 2,192,423 Ward et a1 Mar.5, 1940 2,372,994 Welch Apr. 3, 1945 2,489,054 Sprolle Nov. 22, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,815 Australia 1927 26,878 GreatBritain 1913

